UKIP hit the campaign trail in run-up to Wellingborough by-election - but they're not on the ballot

With parties and independents drumming up support for the upcoming Wellingborough by-election on February 15, candidates are hopeful for a victory – but some campaigns are over before they started.

Flyers have been handed to Wellingborough residents this week, asking for votes for Geoff Courtenay to become the constituency’s new MP as a representative for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).

The twist? UKIP doesn’t actually have a candidate in the running.

Wellingborough Town Council’s Kelly Duddridge received a flyer through her door from the Eurosceptic party, which gave an overview of its policies, but was aware that the party was not in the running for the seat vacated by Peter Bone.

As a result, she thought the delivery to be ‘odd’.

The leaflet reads: "So the by-election date is now fixed for February 15, and for this I wanted to focus on just three issues – the corruptive influence that major party donors have over their policies, rents, and homelessness.”

It goes on to say: “Now you may think there is little chance of me winning this seat and becoming your MP, but either way that is not the point.

"The point is that we can offer you a range of practical policies, essential to solve the complex and dire problems we face as a nation, but which no other party is advocating.”

The leaflet consists of four full A4 pages of policies that tackle national issues, and takes the opportunity to criticise Reform UK for the ‘truly bonkers stuff’ in its manifesto.

But it fails to acknowledge that UKIP does not have a registered candidate on the ballot for the upcoming Wellingborough by-election.

The Northants Telegraph has contacted Mr Courtenay for comment.

The list of candidates that you can vote for in the Wellingborough by-election on February 15 are:

- Nick ‘The Flying Brick’ Delves – Monster Raving Loony Party

- Ben Habib – Reform UK

- Helen Harrison – Conservative Party

- Gen Kitchen – Labour Party

- Ankit Love Jknpp Jay Mala Post-Mortem – Independent

- Alex Merola – Britain First

- Will Morris – Green Party

- Andre Pyne-Bailey – Independent

- Ana Savage Gunn – Liberal Democrats

- Marion Turner-Hawes – Independent

- Kevin Watts – Independent